Saturday, February 25, 2012

Motorcycing for MENSA

I ride because I love to ride,  it's as simple as that!  .... Well, OK... full disclosure:  I do also love the mechanical esthetic of a motorcycle.  Some bikes don't even need to be ridden to be enjoyed - they are fine works of art and industrial design.  The mere sight (or sound) of them is not only pleasurable, it evokes a sense of well being, brotherly love, and.... yes,  even world peace!  OK, OK, maybe not the latter, but lets just say there is much more to the motorcycle than the inanimate object that it is.

So, imagine my excitement when I read a synopsis of a study conducted at the University of Tokyo demonstrating a significant improvement in the cognitive functioning of motorcyclists that commuted every day to work relative to a control group of individuals that commuted in cars.


The study also revealed that the use of motorcycles in daily life improved cognitive faculties related to memory and spatial reasoning capacity.  Participants in the study reported that their stress levels were reduced and their mental state had improved over the course of the study.

I don't think these findings would shock or surprise any avid motorcyclist.  We all experience the benefit of the release of endorphins while riding and with all of the mental inputs involved in safely maneuvering a bike through traffic or on seriously twisty roads, it's no wonder that there is a temporal physiochemical boost or perhaps even a lasting cerebral benefit from riding.  If nothing else, we are engaging in an activity that we love and extract immeasurable pleasure from.  And sometimes, for long periods of time -  8-10 hours a day for multiple consecutive days.

In a related study involving the Yamaha Motorcycle Corp. researchers also observed that the architecture of the brain was remodeled in that the brain devoted more cortical volume to the activity while riding.  Moreover,  the mental benefits of riding were extended beyond the ride to merely thinking about riding!

NOW we're talking!   Not only do we get a gray matter benefit while riding, we get a similar boost in cognitive function by simply thinking about riding.  Ohmmmmm ...


So, think of it this way the next time you are out for a ride... you're not just riding to get from point A to point B... you're not just commuting... you're not out just for the enjoyment of it... you are out building brain power!

So, don't be surprised if in households all across the globe you hear...."Honey, I'm off to dramatically improve my cognitive reasoning skills, develop my memory and spatial reasoning capacity .... and maybe just find world peace in the process!"  -LD


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